docc

What is the 'accessory' dipstick like? - if it's not a silly question I saw a silly question about Guzzis once, but since I'm the one who asked it i just can't repeat it again here

Guzzi offers this accessory "engine oil dipstick": 97 05 30 00 03

I originally plugged the nipples with vacuum caps. After a 'tune up' at the dealer the motor would backfire when restarted hot ( like after gassing up) and split the caps or blow the intake loosegiving a nasty vacuum leak either way. They had it way too rich. I agree that properly tuned FI won't do that but bolting the vacuum ports is sure fire and secure. Definately do not plug the nipple coming out of the tank as that is your tank vent. Blocking it will create tank vacuum (suck). You can run a line to atmosphere or 'T' it into the tank overflow line.

remove the nozzles and use a short hex drive bolt with a soft washer. Those are your access ports for throttle body balancing.

Who could ask for more? Except for maybe a sunny day in Seattle? PS ( Oh, look, I've become a "Forum-a-holic" again! I've just got to get my sport back on the road!)

Sorry to hear of it and glad you're OK. There just is no substitute for good riding gear! When I laid down the Sport the nice patrolman wrote me a "failure to maintain control" which the judge, later, felt was unnecessary ( justice, thank you). I remember that Ducati monster S4 footpegs are a fit ( rubber though). And the Buell parts are not a diract replacement but will work. I think Carl has more on that . . . . docc, The Tarmac Rub-Club

Er, let's see, the dealer got so frustrated fixing leaks that when the shifting went south he required Guzzi to replace the gearbox. Five months and 80+ e-mails later the new box is in the Sport. For an exhaustive post , go here

These are the double and single sliding sleeves of the secondary shaft, often called 'sliding dogs.' The 'Kupplungsmuffe' is the sleeve on the transmission shaft. For those who recall the Cycle World long term test bike, these are some of the parts replaced on it when its 'shift quality' degraded. This was , apparently, due to improper heat treatment of the early parts. But, but, . . . the Rosso Mandello is a 2001, yes? Wouldn't all '00 and '01 gearboxes be alike? And , perhaps, even 2002?

Gio, Have you tried fitting a new petcock to be sure there is not intermittent electrical failure with it?

$air Trying to get a little more life out of your tires, especially the front, will be false economy if the thing ever lets go.

It's interesting to know that it's the long spring which breaks. That is the spring in the diagram on the far left and engages the ratchet ( MG: preselctor hook) into the upper shift plate (MG: toothed wheels). Can anyone research changes in part numbers? Does the number change from '00/'01 to '02 and then again? I have this spring here in a liitle bag, just delivered 2 months ago: PN 04 23 8300. But can anyone say that PN precedes or supercedes the number from KB's parts book? The spring shown center (04 23 9200) is apparently the spring which returns the foot shift lever to center. The spring at right (000 04 23 8200 0) engages the shift detent pawl ( MG: neutral indicator) into notches in the upper shift plate making contact through a small follower roller ( 04 23 4700 ). Note that what MG calls a "neutral indicator" in the English translation has nothing to do with the gearbox being in neutral or the light which indicates the box is in neutral. It's function is to firmly locate the mechanism in the chosen gear. If this function fails the gearbox would be more prone to miss gears or false neutral. My theory had been that the shift detent pawl ( neutral indicator) must have been allowing my gearbox's false neutraling. This is why I ordered these parts. Guzzi, however, replaced the complete gearbox under warranty before I could test my theory. Soooo, if you get your side plate off ( the one on the left side under the starter) it is probably good medicine to replace all the springs and probably the roller follower on the detent pawl. Ckeck for excessive wear where the pawl follower engages the shift plate. Is there any chance that the parts in recall on the Rosso Mandello thread are the upper and lower shift plates (toothed wheels)??

I don't have the Italian translation in my shop manual, only the German and, I believe, Dutch. I wonder which parts and bolts these are? And, this is for the Rosso Mandello only? I can't imagine these parts would be unique to that model?

There are three springs in the shift mechanism: One to return the gear shift lever,the second to maitain contact of the preselector with the shift plate and, third, to keep the plate indexed into the proper gear.

OK, here's the technologicaly adapted version:

Goran, Now I'll never catch you on those twisty Swedish backroads!

Good point, I agree. For instance, the corner I crashed in went slightly off-camber in the middle of the lane where I lost traction. Heeled over, my suspension needed to 'reach' out over the camber break to press the tire for more available traction. The high preload, high damping, hard tires and high pressures all conspired with a noncompliant suspension to admit me to the Tarmac Rub-Club. Now, I won't say I'm a really hot rider. But at that split instant I needed everything the bike could give .

If the spring has no preload it will be fully extended. This will not allow the suspension to extend to follow road imperfections. It is critical the suspension have some 'reach' to maintain traction.

Looks like many of us are juggling the balance between fat tired bikes and fat, tired riders. docc, 46 on nov. 26, still rubbing and scrubbing

Yes, please!

So, short of disassembling the heads, what can we watch for? Were you guys having to reset the lash more than usual/ ( Usual is probably no change at all or maybe 0.001" every 6000 - 12,000 miles.). Was there increasing valve train noise, smoking on start-up or decelleration? Plug fouling or increased oil consumption?

Yeah, I looked ,too. Wasn't long ago but I don't see them either . . . It's all part of The Spring Conspiracy Jaap, where did that thread go?

The OEM tire on the 2000 Sport was Pirelli Dragon Corsa. For me, too soft ( 2500 mile rear) and very nervous at speed ( 90 on Interstate). I then ran a series of Dunlop 205 and Bridgestone BT 020 finally downsizing the rear to 160/60-17. Usually I'll get 4500 miles from a rear as I like to accelerate through the gears and engine brake aggressively. At 2000 miles the Pilot Roads let go in a line change in a corner. There were lots of other factors ( rear weight bias, high tire pressure, off-camber, up hill, decreasing radius, rider error) But, upon inspecting the tires I expected them to show some substantial wear. But, no, they look really good. This impressed me as their being much too hard for my liking. I'll go with the Dunlop 220 ( the follow on of the 205). They appear to be good compromise on traction and tire wear. I found the 020 Bridgestone to be predictable as well. Probably a little less sticky than the Dunlop and more stable at highway speeds.

It's the size of your flagon.

Carl, Do the Marchesini and Brembo wheels weigh the same?

Seems like crocus cloth would take forever. Probably better to start with 400 grit then 600 , 1500, semichrome then wax. Or stop at some point and take them to your powder coater. ( They were polished aluminum in the beginning, yes?)